Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-08-06
like all ordinary man, instead Of creeping

from bush to bush like n panther, or wris-
CLING through the grass like a snake. Tho
sight of the animals death, therefore. raised
in his black breast a very keen desire for ven
geance on the murderer. if vengeance could
be safely accomplished; and he paused to re-
fleet if this could he done. As he did so Hen
dirk got up, gave the dead dog IL kick, with
drew his aSSegai from the carcass, and then,
as though struck by u sudden desire to con-
ceal the murder, undid the collar, and, lifting
tho dog in his arms, carried him with diff
Guilty into the house and laid him under tho
kitchen table. This done he came out again
to the wall, which was built Of loose, unmor-
tared stones, pulled one out without trouble,
deposited the watch and the silver he had
stolen in the cavity. and replaced the stone.
Next, before Jantje could guess what he
meant to do, he proceeded to make it practi-
cally impossible for his robbery to DO discov-
cred, or. at any rate, very improbable, by
lighting a match, and, having first glanced
round to sec that nobody was looking, reach
ing up and applying it to the thick thatch
with which the house itself was rooted, and
Of which the fringe just hero was not morr
than nine feet from the ground. No rain had
fallen at M%ooifontein for several days, and
there had been a hot sun and dry wind, and,
as a result, the tllatch was as dry as finder.
The light caught III a second. and in two
moro a thin line of fire was running up tho
roof.
Hendrix paused, stepped IL few PAGES back,
resting his shoulders against tho wall, I'M
mediately the other side Of which was Jamie,
and proceeded to chuckle aloud and rub his
hands as he admired the results Of his handi-
work. This was too much for tho Hottentot
on the farther side. Tho provocation was too
great, and SO was the opportunity. In his
hand was the thick stick Oh which he was so
fond Of cutting notchcs. Raising it in both
hands lie brought the heavy mob dow with
all his strength upon the one eyed villains
unprotected skull. 1t was a thick skull, but
the knob prevailed against it and fractured it,
md dow went the estimable witch doctor us
though no were dead.
Next, taking II leaf out Of his fallen cnclny's
book, Jantje slipped over tho wall, and, sciz-
ing the s~cnseless man, dragged him by ono
arm into the kitchen and rolled him under the
table to keep company with the dead dog.
Then, filled with n fearful joy, he slipped out,
shutting and locking the door behind him,
and crept round to II point of vantage in a
littlo plantation seventy or eighty yards to
the right of the house, whence he could watch
the ~conilayration that lie knew must onsue,
for the fro had taken instant and irromedi-
ablc hold, and also 500 what tho Beers were
doing.
Ton minutes or so afterwaru that amiublo
character Hendrix partially rcgaincd his
senses. to find himself surrounded by II sea Of
fire, in which hc persisted miserably, not hay
ing power to move, and his feeble cries being
totally swallowed up and lost in tho fierce
roaring OF tho flames, even had there been
anybody there to hear them. And that was
the very appropriate end OF Hendrix and the
magic" of Hendrix.
Down by the flagstaff tho old man lay in
his fit, with Bessie tending him md IL posse of
Beers standing round, smoking and laughing
or lounging about with IN air Of lorllv
superiority well worthy OF victors in posses
sion.
"Will none of you help mo to take him to
the house, sho cried. Surely you have i'll
treated an old man enough"
Nobmly stirred, not even Frank Muller,
VINO was gazing at her tear stained face with
II fierce smilo playing round tho corners of his
clean cut mouth, which his beard was
trimmed to leave clear.
at will pass, Miss Bessie" lle said; lit will
pass. ! have often seen such fits. They como
from too much excitement, Or too much
drink"-
Suddenly he broke Off with an cxcIalna-
ton, and pointed to the house, from tho roof
of which palo curls of blue smoke were rising.
"Nho has fired the house!' lc shouted,
"Ry Heaven! | will shoot the man."
The I'oers started round and stared in
establishment, and us they did SO the finder
like roof burst into n broad sheet of flame
&l.t r,,,, ,,,1 .-,tl..I l.JI -n ,
with an almost marvellous rapidity. Just
then, too, II light breeze sprung up from over
the hill at the rear of tho house, as it some
times did Mt this time of tho day, and bent
tho lame over toward them in an immense
arch of fire, so that tho fumes and heut and
smoke began to beat upon their faces.
"Oh, tho house is burning DOWN. cried
Bessie, utterly bcwildcrcd by this new mis-
fortune.
Here, you!" shouted Muller to the gaping
Pl:cw, wc must get ont Of this and, stoop-
ing down, lie picked up Silas Gro. il. lis
arms md walked Off with him, followed by
Bessie, toward the plantation on their ltif,
which was the same where Jnntj. had taken
refuge. In the center Of this plantation was
n little glade surrounded by young orange
and blue gum trees. Here he put the old mrn
down upon u bed of dead leaves and soft,
sprinSy grass, and then hurried away, with
out Il word, to the fire. only to find that l!u.
house was utterly unapproacliablc. In fifteen
minutes, such was tho rapidity with w.!irl,
the flames did their work upon the mas; Of
dry straw and tho wooden roof md ~noo.inus
beneath, tho whole OF tho ~intcrio. Of the
house was a glowing, incandcsrcnt pile, end
in half mn hour it was completely gr!:tcl,
nothing being left standing but the massive
outer walls of stone, over which u dense
column of smoke hung like n pail. Mooifon-
tein was a blackened ruin; only tho stables
and outhouses, which were rooted with gal
vanized iron, being left uninjured.
Frank Muller had not been gone five
minutes when, to Bessie's joy, her uncle
opened his eyes and sat up.
"What is it! what is it!" he said. "Ah! |
recollect. What is all this smell of fire.
Surely they have not burned the places"
eyes, uncle" sobbed Bessie, "thcy have"
The old man groaned. "t took me ten
years to build, bit by bit, almost stone by
stone, and now they have destroyed it. Well,
why not! Gods will bc done! Give me your
arm, love; l want to get to the water. l
feel faint and sick"
She did as he babe her, sobbing bitterly.
Within fifteen yards, on the edge Of the plan
tation, was a little spruit or runncl Of water,
and of this he drank copiously and bathed his
wounded head and face.
"There, love-" he said, "don't fret; l feel
quite myself again. l fear l made a fool Of
myself. l haven't learned to bear misfortune
and dishonor as 1 should yet, and, like Job, l
felt as though God had forsaken us. But, as
l said, his will be done. What Is the next
move, l wonder! Ah! we shall soon know,
for here comes our friend Frank Muller"
II am glad to see that you have recovered,